Today is, unfortunately, Valentine’s Day. This is a male-only event and when they first informed me about it, I was worrying to myself: “Shouldn’t we move the date by at least one day? Is there actually going to be anyone in the audience?” And yet, it’s a sold out event today. So, what are all of your plans for tonight after the event? (Everyone in the audience is quiet.) How many of you are going to attend the second event as well? (About half the people in the audience raise their hands.) Hey, wait a minute! Listen, don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that you’re coming, but I hope you don’t chase after me too much. Just so you know, I’m not taking responsibility for all of your lives, too.

6: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:32:40.70 0.netWota: (silent weeping)

37: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:48:39.75 0.net

Fan answers to survey question: “how does your family react to you being a Matsuura fan?“Ayaya: “Stop chasing after her and get married to a real person already.”Wota: (laughs)Ayaya: Yeah… I mean, we’ve all known each other for a long time, but it’s not like I can look after you in your private lives. I want all of you to become happy, too. I certainly don’t want anyone blaming me if they don’t achieve that. Like, “it’s Ayaya’s fault that my life is all messed up.” (laughs)Wota: (laughs)Ayaya: When I get married in the future, you better not get angry at me and be all “this traitor, becoming all happy by herself…!” It’s your job to make sure that you, too, are happy when that time comes.Wota: …

9: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:33:21.16 0.netThose are just words of kindness meant to prevent any future incidents.

10: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:33:35.38 0.net
The Aya wota all love it when she says stuff like that.

12: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:34:28.71 0.netWhat she means by that is that she wants you to support her, but not at the expense of you being able to live your life like a normal person.

15: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:36:46.01 0.net
I want to be scolded by Ayaya.

19: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:38:23.69 0.net
Other idols don’t say stuff like that, but I bet that’s what they’re all thinking.

20: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:39:11.80 0.net
As expected of Ayaya.

28: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:42:54.77 0.netWell, the thing with those “true love” type wota is that they sacrifice their lives to chase after their favorite idol — and they convince themselves that the member in question is actually happy about them doing so.

32: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:44:29.28 0.net
When Hayashi Hiroko got married, there were apparently throngs of fans going “how are you going to pay us back for the time we put into supporting you?“

33: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:45:06.84 0.net
If you were someone who was only in it for the money, you wouldn’t be able to say stuff like that. Ayaya really is a good person.

13: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:34:36.27 0.net
There was something like this concerning Thunderbirds, too.

26: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:42:41.77 0.net>>13
Just to make sure… you don’t by any chance mean Star Trek, do you? (laughs)

35: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:46:47.25 0.net
This?

36: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:46:51.96 0.netH!P is just honest. Sure, had she instead said something along the lines of “thank you for your utmost dedication to me~”, she would’ve made some money in the short-term. But ultimately, it would only lead to everyone being unhappy.

48: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:51:08.61 0.net
I like this, too:

Wota: “I’m always much obliged to you.”Ayaya: “Just don’t overdo it.“

(Note: As you might’ve realized, this conversation is reportedly from a handshake event, and the “being obliged to you” means, in a more crass wording, “I fap to you.” I’m not the least bit sure of the authenticity of this conversation, but I do know it’s been spotted on 2ch as early as 2007 — possibly earlier — and it’s been resurfacing regularly ever since.)

209: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:55:21.95 0.net>>48
LOL.

285: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 21:30:02.21 0.net>>48
I would’ve wanted to become an idol who could give responses like that.

66: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:04:08.45 0.netThis is a real idol.

53: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:54:28.54 0.netIf you can’t treat your fans in a smart way like her, you shouldn’t aim to become an idol.

63: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 19:59:13.17 O.net
I’m an ex-Ayaya fan. I’m in my thirties, I’m still a virgin and I hardly make any money at all. My daily life couldn’t be more removed from what people might consider “typical” happiness.

65: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:01:20.46 0.net>>63It’s your fault for not listening to her advice.

78: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:12:53.68 0.net

Bokura no Ongaku #003 2004/4/17 broadcast

Torigoe: “So, how about you? Where do you see yourself in ten years?“Matsuura: “Ten years from now… I hope I’ll be a mother by that point.“Torigoe: “Oh, you want to become a mother. Wait, so are you going to quit when you marry?“Matsuura: “O-of course!“Torigoe: “Is that right?“Matsuura: “I think so. I want to stay firmly by my child’s side when I become a mother.“Torigoe: “So you’re saying you can’t be a singer anymore when that happens?“Matsuura: “No, I don’t think I could do both. Not me. So, when that happens… that’s it.“

It’s just Ayaya staying true to her word.

81: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:14:01.16 0.netShe’s constantly being praised on Twitter. At one point, one of her old albums suddenly went to no. 1 on iTunes and stuff because of Twitter’s influence. At the end of the day, the real deal will get the recognition it deserves even as time keeps passing.

92: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:16:50.58 0.net
People like Shiina Ringo and Takeuchi Mariya fell for her after seeing her on stage.

Takeuchi Mariya × Chris Matsumura “Mariya’s Songbook” discussion

Chris: You were a fan of Matsuura Aya before you even met her, right?

Takeuchi: Yes. Back when she’d only just debuted, she just struck me as the usual cheery H!P-type. But hearing her perform some of her more mellow songs on music shows every once in a while, I thought there was a real maturity in her singing. Later, I asked her to star in the leading role of my 2008 song musical, “Honki de Only You.” That’s when I first met her, and that’s when I got the chance to go see her on stage. While the audience mostly consisted of what looked to be ardent male fans of hers, I felt that her concerts were truly so amazing that it’d be a waste if only her fans alone had the chance to experience them. Whether it be her singing, her MC’s, or how she handles her audience, she really is a genius as to how she carries herself on stage. I was dumbstruck. Right now she’s taking some time off from work, but I know that in her 30’s and 40’s she’ll grow to become an even greater vocalist. That’s something I’m looking forward to.

126: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:22:20.98 0.net
Ayaya’s MC’s in her later career sure were funny.

111: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:20:23.39 0.netShe said this publicly in a concert MC: she can’t take responsibility for her fans. But it’s the same with Mikitty, isn’t it? The reason Mikitty chose to withdraw instead of breaking up with her then-boyfriend was because she realized she couldn’t remain an idol forever. She recognized that she was at that very moment with the person she wanted to be with for the rest of her life, so she decided that’s what she was going to do, and she withdrew from the group. That’s pretty admirable, too.

177: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:32:04.88 0.net
Though she hardly ever makes public appearances anymore, she remains in people’s memories and she becomes a topic of conversation like this regularly. Ayaya is a prime example of a real star.

183: 名無し募集中。。。 2016/05/22(日) 20:39:52.46 0.netAll idols should have a stance similar to the one Ayaya took on this matter.

1. カラフル名無しさん 2016年05月23日 00:44 ID:cemY9LSw0
I like to think of her as the final 80’s idol.

3. カラフル名無しさん 2016年05月23日 00:59 ID:S4Rtu.770
The fact that it’s Ayaya saying those words makes them all the more meaningful and compelling.

Henkka: You know what makes Matsuura along with Kamei Eri my favorite H!P members of all time?

In short, it’s because they strike me as just wonderful human beings. While Matsuura and Kamei are very different types of people, they share many of the same traits as well. They’re both modest, down-to-earth, honest — just overall real people. And those are the sort of characteristics that appeal to me. Plus, they both have a sense of humor — often times a self-deprecating style of humor at that. For me, that’s one of the best ways to go about assessing someone as a person: if you can make fun of yourself, you can’t be an awful person in my books. In other words: it’s easy to love people who strike you as being awesome individuals on the inside.

Here are some highlights of Aya’s tweets that I translated years ago. Similar to Kamei, Matsuura would often give her fans solid life advice. Other times she just tried her best to make them smile. These tweets should give you a pretty good idea of what she is like as a person.

@nopitin A huge fan of yours, Kashiwagi from AKB, has recently been in poor health. Could you please give her a couple of words of support? (>_<) I was thinking I wanted to do something for her sake to make her feel better, but since I’m a big idiot, this is all I could think of… If it’s not too rude of me to ask… Please!
I’m sure that looking out for your health can be very tough when someone is as busy as you are. （ーー；） But please remember that you have fans on your side who are always thinking about you and who would do anything for you. That’s a huge source of power! I, too, am cheering for you. (*^^*) Recently, my one-year-old niece is singing “♪ I want you ♪” while flailing her arms around a lot. (laughs)

@yutotty_25 What do you think about homosexual or same sex love? I’m a female by the way. (laughs) Oh, and it’s okay if you don’t want to answer this question. u_u*
I think it’s good for people to be exactly as they like. (*^^*)

@usapyon0299 Good evening, Ayaya. (^-^) I’m a 20-year-old student. I’m hesitating over whether I should move to live with my boyfriend who I’ve been dating for two and a half years but whose place of employment is in Nagoya, or if I should pursue my longtime dream of entering show business and finding employment in Tokyo. Please give me some advice. (>_<)
If you can’t promise yourself that you won’t blame your boyfriend about you giving up your dream for him if something was to ever happen between you two, then you shouldn’t go with him! How’s that?

@lovkmm Ayaya~. I’m lonely. （ ; ; ） My friends are aaaaall busy spending time with their boyfriends… （ ; ; ） I’ve been left all alone… I hate this…
Know that you’re going to make all your true friends from now on. (*^^*)@lovkmm What are “true friends” though, I wonder? I’m thinking about it too much lately and it’s just painful.
When you’re in a situation where your friend has to make a decision between you or herself, and she chooses herself over you… A friend that has the strength to talk to you about why she made that choice is a true friend. ♪

@nechi14 Ayaya~♡ What kind of a woman do you want to be, and do you put in effort to actually become that way?
While I don’t think I could walk three steps behind, I would like to walk one step behind my partner. That’s the kind of woman I’d like to be for him. (^^)

@__ann7188 Ayaya~! I broke up with my boyfriend just now. (/ _ ; ) I was dumped. (/ _ ; ) Comfort meee! (laughs)Just now!!!?! Σ（・□・；）@__ann7188 Yeah, we just said our goodbyes. (/ _ ; ) I’m sad, frustrated and lonely, but getting a reply from you cheered me up a little bit! Thank you!
You take care and head back home for now! If it’s too painful to be alone, ask your friends to keep you company. (^ー゜)

@AychaaaaaNx5 Aya-chan. Do you ever have these times when you just want to burst into tears all of a sudden? What’s the best thing to do at times like that? (>_<)
Nothing you can do but cry away! (*^^*)

@tvxqnozo The person I have a crush on got a girlfriend… I can’t help but feel sorry for myself, thinking about why didn’t I do this and that… It really is only once you lose a person who is dear to you that you understand how much they really meant to you… This 28-year-old me… I’m just a big crybaby! Ayaya, cheer me up~. (･_･､)
I once kept crying for seven hours straight. By the end of it my face looked so funny that when I saw it, I cheered myself up from laughing so hard. (laughs)

Honestly, I think her career would have blossomed if she had left H!P just a few years earlier and signed with another label. By the end of her H!P career, artists and critics alike were praising her but the general public still associated her with her early career – bright idol pop and funny costumes.

I wont be mad when gaki and kame get married.
But with kames marriage especiallyit will feel like a farewell.
I mean i ll stll like gakikame but now they ll have husbands
Its like a farewell to adolescent fun, i like the new gens but its no special like the old ones.
Thanks ayaya zubato! For the advice to get married but i ve burned that bridge lobng ago and i dont regret it

Ayaya will always be one of my favourite idols. H!P-wide, and outside of H!P.
Her music is fantastic, her early character was so nice and fun, and later on she became so graceful yet so clever and amazing.

God bless you for this thread Henkka.
As a recent H!P fan who didn’t have the privilege of following Ayaya while she was active, and as a big fan of her music today I really appreciate this.
Especially the twitter conversations part.
I just sensed she was a good person, even though I knew little about her.

And I wanna use this opportunity to say how gratefull I am for every thread you make.
With little translated material this is pure gold, especially for new fans like me.
I am especially interested to see things from wota’s perspective too, so thank you for that.
Greetings from the other side of Europe!

Though I have moved forward in my fandomMattthecat Aya will always have a place in my heart.
And the Matsuurian will always remain a place to return to.
And hell who knows maybe even the lady herself will grace us again one day